Ijaw youths under the aegis of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Worldwide, yesterday vowed to cripple oil installations in the Niger Delta region over what they termed lopsided applications of the mining regulations in the country.
President of IYC, Mr. Peter Igbifa, who stated this in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said the aggrieved youths will soon come out with a decisive action against the federal government.
Igbifa said it was provocative for the government to allow the natives in the northern part of the country to explore and exploit their mineral resources, including gold deposits in Zamfara State while outlawing such practice on crude oil in the South.
He said: “We appeal to residents to manage their available resources and stock their homes ahead of this planned shutdown of activities around the Niger Delta in the coming days.
“We are undertaking this painful path to ask the federal government to facilitate the amendment of the Constitution to ensure resource control; amend the NDDC Act, address Wetland challenges; kill the Water Resources bill and show practical commitment in reconstructing the East-West road and other deplorable federal roads in the Niger Delta.
“The time is now to build a new Niger Delta of our dream. We are tired of the talk show and we feel cheated that the Mining Act allows Zamfara State to own these solid minerals, including gold deposits and forbids the Niger Delta and Ijaw communities from owning the crude oil in their backyards.”
